Multiple positionable handle tensioning device



June 12, 1951 w CQFFING 2,556,995

MULTIPLE POSITIONABLE HANDLE TENSIONING DEVICE Filed Dec. 6, 1947 IF-il 3 '.,'II/ II I! 7 ..'IIIIIII)IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA INVENTOR. Raw/av W, 6'0ff7/V6 Patented June 12, 1951 MULTIPLE POSITIONABLE HANDLE TENSIONING DEVICE Fredrick W. Coffing, Danville, Ill., assignor to 'Coffing Hoist Company, Danville, Iil., a corporation Application December 6, 1947, Serial No. 790,177

3 Claims.

structure capable of use as a crank or lever or of being collapsed to a position whereby a portion thereof may be parallel to a crank to which it may be attached for reduced packaging requirements.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a handle structure capable offunctioning as indicated above and which is positively held in any one of the selected positions and is by one hand releasable and movable.

The chief feature of the present invention resides in the specific handle mount and the manually releasable lock.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings Fig. l is an elevational view of a handle structure embodying the invention, parts being shown in the crank position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, dotted lines indicating an extended lever position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the lock in released position.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a handle equipped device in packaged position.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings, It! indicates a container including a device having a manually operable actuating member such as arm !2 provided with a handle portion 13. Note that herein the position of portion I3 is reversed relative to the crank position, see Fig. 2.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. Arm I2 comprises a bar of predetermined cross-sectional area, suitable length and predetermined strength. Upon application of too great a load applied to it through the handle it will bend before the failure limit of device II is attained. After being bent such arm readily may plunger 2| having a cylindrical formation and a reduced portion or neck 22. It also includes a recess 2'3 for one end of a U.-spring member 24 having its other end 25 directed'transversely thereof and seated in hole 26 in the handle portion l3.

The plunger is slidable transversely throug the tubular handle, opposite ends always being seated in aligned openings 21 in the handle portion. Normally the spring 24 constrains the plunger to the position shown in Fig. 3. When the plunger is depressed, in opposition to spring 24, to the position shown in Fig. 4, the neck 22 of said plunger is coplaner with the bar [2 and the handle portion l3 may be readily swung about the end of bar l2 at pivot 20.

Note that when the handle l3 is aligned with bar l2, plunger 2| is seated in notch l1 and when disposed transversely plunger 21 is seated in notch [6, locking the handle portion in its adjusted positions, respectively. Position change can only be effected by effecting lock release through depression of plunger 2|.

Since reversed crank position is merely one of convenience for storage or shipment no notch diametric to notch I6 is provided, although it may be if desired.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that the parts are few in number and these are of comparatively simple construction, to-wit: one bar, one handle tube, a rivet pivot, one plunger, and a wire spring in the preferred and illustrated embodiment of the invention.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

Theseveral modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be Within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a handle structure, an arm member comprising a flat elongated bar relatively thin in cross section as compared to its width throughout its length, a tubular handle member having one end slotted to accommodate an adjacent end of said arm member and a pivot extending through the wall of said handle member and through said arm member to pivotally connect the two members together, the end of said arm member having an arcuate surface provided with semi-circular notches in the periphery thereof, a transversely movable latch pin extending through said handle member and having a portion thereof projecting beyond a wall of said handle member, said latch pin having a reduced portion and the enlarged portion thereof being adapted to seat in said semi-circular notches and yielding means biasing said latch pin in a position to engage the enlarged portion in a selected notch.

2. In a handle structure, an arm member, a handle member, one of said members being tubular and the other having a flattened end and having one end slotted to accommodate the adjacent flattened end of the other member, a pivot extending through the Walls of said tubular member and through the flattened end of said-other member connecting the associated ends of said members together, a transversely moveable latch pin extending through said tubular member and having one end extending beyond the wall of said tubular member, a portion of said latch 'pin intermediate of its ends being reduced in diameter, said flattened end having an arcuate surface at its end and provided with latch accommodating seats and yielding means normally biasing said latch pin transversely to engage the enlarged portion of said latch pin in a selected (seat.

3. In a handle structure, an arm member, a handle member, one of said members being tubuiar and having one end slotted to accommodate the adjacent end of the other member, a pivot 4- extending through the walls of said tubular mem-- her and through the other member and pivotally connecting the associated ends of said members together, a transversely movable latch pin having a reduced portion intermediate of its ends carried by the tubular member and independently of the pivot, the other of said members being substantially flat and having an arcuate surface at its end having latch accommodating notches, yielding means normally constraining said latch transversely to engage the enlarged portion thereof in said notches and disposed longitudinally Within said tubular member, and manually operable means operable in opposition to said yielding means for freeing the latch from its engaged notch.

FREDRICK W. COFFING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 579,277 Lord Mar. 23, 1897 1,191,855 Tuszka July 18, 1916 1,261,890 Akely .Apr. 9, 1918 1,330,260 Graham Feb. 10, 1920 1,742,746 Zubaty Jan. '7, 1930 2,201,004 Chandler et a1 May '14, I940 

